Amusement game accessory



P 1934- M. GENSBURG 1,972,381

AMUSEMENT GAME ACCESSORY Filed April 6. 1934 1 Z lleyer Gezzsbur INVENTOR.

HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to amusement game accessories and has for its principal object the provision of an improved structure of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

My invention is adapted and designed to be used in conjunction with amusement games wherein a' ball is projected upon an inclined baiiies or pins into position for confinement in.

score pockets or passage through score openings.

In this connection itis desirable that foramuse-Q ment purposes the ball or balls be 'prolongedin their return to the propeller or that the'same' be retained or trapped until released by a subsequently played ball or balls.

With this in mind, it is one of the many salient objects of my invention to provide a game accessory, which will not only add to the suspense and amusement of the player but which also has universal application in that the same may be embodied in amusement apparatus of various type and design particularly those in which a ball is "propelled upon an inclined play board and gravitates thereupon in its return to the propelling device.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and elements hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing, but not limiting me, to a preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of a game board embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a game board embodying the invention in a modified form of construction; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 in which the invention is illustrated in its preferred form of construction a game or playboard is indicated at At the entrance 15, of these runways are baffle pins 16, against which the balls 17, may strike and be deflected from a course whi'chwould otherwise lead them through the runways 14. 1

In Fig. 1 of the drawing there isillustrated four runways 14, but this number may vary according to the desire of the manufacturer.

Associated with this set of runways 14, is a structure which functions asa trap or ball stop, releasably blocking the movement of the ball passing through onejof the runways 14, indicated at 18', until released by aball passing through any one of the remaining runways 14, indicated at 19, 20and 21.

[This trap or ball stop comprises a plurality 01 supporting posts 22, disposed at the entrance of the runways 14.

These posts 23, having flattened upper ends 24, perforated to receive the portions 25', of a wire member which is bent to provide a medial portion 26, the bight portion of which is provided with a substantially square loop 2'7. This loop 27, is disposed to engage the ball 17, as shown, and retain the same until released in a manner hereinafter more fully understood.

On opposite sides of this medialvportion 26, are portions of the wire member bent to provide lift arms 28 and 29, disposed to engage the balls traveling down the runways, 20 and 21. V

The end portion 30, of the ball stop wire memher is bent to provide a lift arm 31, disposed on the runway 19, and is adapted to be engaged by balls travelling down this runway.

It will be apparent from Fig. 1 that the lift arms 28, 29, and 30, are disposed in an inclined plane from that of the ball stop arm 26 provided by the medial portion 26, so that when any one of the lift arms are engaged by a ball they will be pivoted upwardly to elevate the ball .stop arm 26' in a plane so that the ball stopped by the ball stop arm 26' will be free to continue its course down the inclined play board.

By the employment of this form of ball stop it is obvious that the skill of the game as well as the amusement therefrom is greatly increased.

This is so in one instance because of the fact that the player is induced to direct the balls upon the play board in a manner such that the ball will find its travel directed toward one of the enm5 trances of the runways for travel thereabove to engage the lift arm to release a ball trapped by the arm 26'.

Any number of lift arms and traps may be employed either as a unit or as separate units, 1 10 without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated another form of my invention.

In this connection a plurality of ball stops are employed as separate units each common to the same runway 31, to successively stop the balls in the manner shown.

Each of the stops or traps comprise a stop arm 32, provided by the medial portion of the wire I member 33.

The ends of the parallel arms 34, are bent back upon themselves to provide the lift arms 35.

disposed within the runway 36, in an inclined plane from that of the arm 32. o

The arrangement is such that a ball trapped by the stop arm A upon release therefrom will travel down the runway 31, to a:point where it will be trapped by the stop arm of trap B.

This ball will remain thus trapped until the succeeding ball trapped by the arm A is released by a ball engaging the lift arms of the trap A. When this takes place the ball from the stop arm of trap B will continue down the runway 31, until trapped by the stop arm of trap C where it will remain until released by the ball released from the stop arm of trap Bf.

Here again it may be repeated that any number of traps may be employed much to the skill and amusement to the player.

Also that while the traps are in the form of wire lengths these traps may be metal stamping orthe like without departure from the spirit of the invention. 7

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A ball trap adapted to be used in association with a game having an inclined play board, comprising a member having a medial portion providing a stop arm and end portions disposed in an inclined plane from the plane of the stop arm :and adapted to be engaged by ball to elevate said tion with a game having an inclined play board,

comprising a member having a medial portion providing a stop arm and end portions disposed in an inclined plane from the plane of the stop arm and adapted to be engaged by ball to elevate said stop arm to release a ball trapped thereby, and means associated with said trap providing runways for said balls.

3. A game apparatus in which there is provided an inclined board upon which balls are adapted to travel by gravity, a pivotally supported trap for said balls, comprising a ball stop member and a lift member, the latter being adapted to be engaged by said balls to elevate the stop member to release a ball stopped by the same, and means associated with said trap providing runways for said balls, and baflle pins at the entrance of said 

